Development of Active Flow Control for Trucks
Paper in proceeding, 2018

The possibility to actively control the external aerodynamic of vehicles is an attractive yet challenging solution to decrease the aerodynamic drag and the fuel consumption. The work flow that describes the implementation of an Active Flow Control (AFC), for the suppression of the separated flow at the A-pillar of a truck, is summarised in this paper. The presented work spans from a theoretical verification of the method to a preliminary implementation of an AFC on a real full-scale truck cabin. The study involves numerical (CFD) and experimental work, including aerodynamic test in a full scale wind tunnel. The initial CFD simulations of a simplified A-pillar were performed using turbulence resolving numerical method large-eddy simulations (LES). A second step consisted in simulation of a simplified truck cabin using hybrid Partially-Averaged Navier-Stokes simulations (PANS). The AFC was created using synthetic jets produced by the use of loudspeakers mounted in the A-pillars of the model. The numerical and experimental investigations were used to optimise the actuation parameters leading to maximum drag reduction. The final step of the validation of the AFC concept was achieved with a full scale test experimental campaign of a Volvo Truck cabin equipped with the studied AFC device.

truck aerodynamics

Aerodynamic drag reduction

PANS

wind tunnel

experiment

Partially- Averaged Navier-Stokes

LES

active flow control

Author

Guglielmo Minelli

Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Fluid Dynamics

Erwin Adi Hartono

Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Fluid Dynamics

Valery Chernoray

Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Fluid Dynamics

Linus Hjelm

Volvo Group

Branislav Basara

AVL

Sinisa Krajnovic

Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Fluid Dynamics

Proceedings of the Thermal and Fluids Engineering Summer Conference

23791748 (eISSN)

Vol. 2018-March
9781567004724 (ISBN)

3rd Thermal and Fluids Engineering Conference (TFEC) Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA, 2018-03-04 - 2018-03-07
Fort Lauderdale, USA,

Areas of Advance

Transport

Subject Categories

Aerospace Engineering

Vehicle Engineering

Fluid Mechanics and Acoustics

Infrastructure

Chalmers Laboratory of Fluids and Thermal Sciences

DOI

10.1615/TFEC2018.tff.021216

More information

Latest update

7/17/2024